CRS Activities For Cheaper Flood Insurance
What a Community Can Do to Help Citizens in Flood-Prone Areas?
Oct 23, 2009
The goals of the Community Rating System (CRS) are to are to recognize, encourage, and reward, by the use of flood insurance premium adjustments, community and state activities beyond the minimum required by the NFIP that:
- Reduce flood damage to insurable property,
- Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the NFIP, and
- Encourage a comprehensive approach to floodplain management.
FEMA has established a long list of activities it considers as furthering this goal, and an application process through which a community demonstrates its compliance with whatever of those activities it does.
CRS Activities in Four Groups
The activities that FEMA has determined constitute floodplain management that exceeds the minimum requirements are in four groups, described as follows in FEMA’s CRS Coordinator’s Manual.
- Public Information (Series 300): Programs that advise residents and business owners about the flood hazard, flood insurance, and ways to reduce flood damage. These activities also provide data needed by insurance agents for accurate flood insurance rating. They generally serve all members of the community and work toward all three goals of the CRS.
- Mapping and Regulations (Series 400): This series credits programs that provide increased protection to new development. These activities include mapping areas not shown on the FIRM, preserving open space, enforcing higher regulatory standards, and managing stormwater. The credit is increased for growing communities. These activities work toward the first and second goals of the CRS, damage reduction and accurate insurance rating.
- Flood Damage Reduction (Series 500): Programs for areas in which existing development is at risk. Credit is provided for a comprehensive floodplain management plan, relocating or retrofitting flood-prone structures, and maintaining drainage systems. These activities work toward the first goal of the CRS, damage reduction.
- Flood Preparedness (Series 600): Flood warning, levee safety, and dam safety programs. These activities work toward the first and third goals of the CRS, damage reduction and hazard awareness.
How Should a Community Get Started in the CRS?
A community begins to qualify under the CRS by first studying the many activities listed in the Coordinator’s Manual and shown on the application. Many of these activities are possibly already being done by the community, and all that is needed is documentation. While generating documentation for past activities is difficult, the potential rewards in terms of points in the CRS and reduction in insurance premiums.
Next, a community should check with their counterparts in the next higher level of government to see what programs that government has implemented for which the community might receive credit. An example is the State safe dams program. Depending on the wording, a city or county can receive CRS credit for the state program. Or, a city can receive credit for a county’s hazard mitigation plan.
Most states have some kind of State floodplain coordinator, or perhaps a small department that are responsible for floodplain issues in the state. The State coordinator can be a valuable resource for the local CRS coordinator. The State coordinator will know about State programs that will provide credits for local community. He or she can also help the local community by explaining the CRS program and helping the local community organize their documentation.
Self-Assessment of CRS Compliance
Before the community submits an application to FEMA, or even begins to fill out that application, they should become review each activity in each category, and make on of the following determinations.
- This is an activity the community is already doing and documenting, and should receive CRS credit for.
- This is an activity the community is already doing but has not been documenting. Begin that documentation immediately, and determine if documentation can be generated for what was done in the past.
- This is an activity the community has not been doing, but could do with very little expense. This activity can be implemented at the staff level, without an action by the governing board or council.
- This is an activity that the community has not done, but could begin doing, although some expense will be involved.
- This is an action that can only be started with the governing board appropriating funds.
- This is an action that can only be started by the governing board implementing a new policy.
After completing this assessment, the community should assign themselves points based on the FEMA CRS application, and determine where they would stand in a formal evaluation by FEMA. At this point the community can determine if attempting to participate in the CRS will result in enough benefit to offset the costs.
Remember that the CRS is designed to award communities who go above and beyond the minimum requirements of the NIFP. This requires effort and documentation, but can result in commensurate benefits for the residents and businesses of the community.
 |
 |
